Press Room

Senator Hudak Leads the Charge for Education Fund Transparency

Thursday, January 20 2011

DENVER—Today, Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster) passed two bills to support funding for Colorado schools. SB 29 and SJR 4 will improve oversight of millions of acres of state land which are used to generate revenue for Colorado schools. The bills were passed unanimously by the Senate Education Committee and now move to the full Senate.

“We need to do everything in our power to provide the best education to Colorado children,” said Sen. Hudak. “The primary goal of the State Land Board should be to maximize funding for schools. These bills will increase transparency and help the legislature hold the Board accountable to the people of Colorado.”

Senator Hudak’s bills are:

Senate Bill 29, sponsored in the House by Representative Ken Summers (R-Lakewood), requires the State Board of Land Commissioners to submit two annual reports to the education committees of the legislature, the State Board of Education, and the State Treasurer. The report will also be made available to the public. Access to this information will help state leaders ensure the board is serving the needs of the public.

Senate Joint Resolution 4, also sponsored by Rep. Summers, makes a change to joint legislative rules to give House and Senate education and agriculture committees explicit oversight over issues related to the State Land Board.

Background:

The State Board of Land Commissioners (State Land Board) manages over 3 million acres of public land and over 4million acres of mineral rights in Colorado. This land was given by the federal government to the State of Colorado and its citizens to be used to generate revenue for Colorado schools. The State Land Board does this by leasing the land for agricultural purposes, animal grazing and planting crops and mineral development. The Board also uses state lands for commercial development and recreation to generate revenue. Revenues from these activities and interest earned on invested funds help fund Colorado schools.